January 2012

The Local 5 Christmas party at the Pipefitters120 Hall December 21st was very well attended. If you were not able to attend, hopefully you will be able to make it next December.  Thanks to Brother Gary Browning and Brother Bill Norton for tending bar, Brothers Roman and Bob Klimkowicz for working the door and Brothers Sal Filippelli and Jerry Scott for distributing the hooded sweatshirts. Thanks also to Brothers Vince Isaac and Joe Coreno, for helping set up and also for transporting the party supplies from the office to the hall and back. Thanks to all of the members (so many to name I would run out of space) who stuck around to help clean up. Thanks to Citizen Editor Bill Obbagy for taking pictures and visiting with us at the party. We had a buffet-style dinner featuring prime rib, breaded chicken, and Italian sausage with all the trimmings including a pizza appetizer and deserts catered by Alfonso's of Middleburgh Heights. Thanks to Dave Epifano and his professional staff for a delightful dining experience. Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Pipefitters maintenance worker Steve Banhidy for all of his assistance with arranging the party.

We still have a number of hooded sweatshirts in the sizes of large and extra large for those of you who did not receive one. They will be available at the Independence office on a first come first serve basis while supplies last.

Brother John Crouse, a 25 year member of Local 5 and Pastor of the Red Haw United Methodist Church in Ashland County, will be leaving for the Liberia West Africa/Camphor Mission United Methodist Mission Station for 16 days February 11^th. John and other members of the church will build a guest house out of hand-made, sun-dried mud block, and hand dig fresh water wells. They will be taking with them items donated by the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers such as tools, hats, and t-shirts. They will have no electricity or running water. Liberia had a civil war from 1989 to 2003. Their infrastructure was decimated and is still very limited. Please keep John and his fellow missionaries in your thoughts and prayers as they do this charitable work to help a devastated people survive.

Vice President and IMI Instructor Brother Sal Filippelli brought an energetic group of his International Masonry Institute pre-apprentices from the Cleveland Job Corps Academy down to the old hall on Chester Avenue to help us out with the move on October 25th.These students were happy to help and appreciated the opportunity to see the hall prior to it being torn down. A "Tip of the Hardhat" goes out to Sal and his students Vernon Bentley, Devin Borum Jr., Jonathan Brown, Daniel Goodine, Joshua Norman, Melissa Phillips, and Brandon Wiggins. They carried everything that was upstairs down to the first floor where it was staged and prepared for the final phase of the move. Thank you, students. You saved us a mountain of work and we all want you to know that we deeply appreciate it. May you have many safe and successful years in the skilled trowel trades.

Demolition update- At this writing the demolition of the Local 5 union hall at 4205 Chester by B&B Wrecking has begun and is likely to be completed by the time you read this.

Happy Birthday wishes to Brother Colin Campbell. Colin turned 83 December 8^th.

Pre-apprenticeship applications are accepted Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 5 Office, 6200 Rockside Woods Blvd. N. Su. 210, Independence,Ohio 44131.  A valid driver's license and a high school diploma or G.E.D. must be provided prior to filling out an application.

Please send your local monthly union dues to the OADC Dues Processing Center, 5171 Hudson Drive, Hudson, Ohio 44236 or call1-800-442-0479 to make checkless payments or to pay by credit card. Please do not send them to our new office address on Rockside Woods Boulevard, as this will cause a delay which could result in you being dropped.

To make arrangements to be drug tested, please call Safety Controls Technology at 216-587-3000.

Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 5 and Bricklayers Funds new address is 6200 Rockside Woods Blvd N., Suite 210,Independence, Ohio 44131.

Local 5's new telephone: 216-447-9965   Local5's new fax: 216-447-9971

Funds Office (Health & Welfare) new telephone: 216-520-1644

BAC Local 5 Ohio email: brick5@core.com Alternate e-mail: bricklayers5@att.net

Journeyperson Upgrade classes at the Robert A. Fozio Training Center registration info: 330-463-5501.

International Masonry Institute training program info: www.imiweb.org

Local 5 union meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at the Pipefitters Local 120 Hall, 6305 Halle Drive, Valley View, Ohio 44215.

The news that nobody was hurt at the casino parking garage accident was the best news of 2011. Let this serve as a reminder that safety is no accident. May you and your loved ones have a very safe, prosperous, and happy 2012.

To see December 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see November 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see October 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see September 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see August 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see July 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see June 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see May 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see April 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE
To see March 2011's copy of The Citizen, click HERE